Hydrangea plant named &#39;Fairy Love&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Hydrangea plant named ‘Fairy Love’, characterized by its double-type, mophead inflorescences, having bright pink-colored sterile florets that mature to deep red-purple, dark green-colored foliage, and moderately vigorous, compact-upright growth habit, is disclosed.

Latin name of genus and species of plant claimed: Hydrangea macrophylla.

Variety denomination: ‘Fairy Love’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofHydrangea plant botanically known as Hydrangea macrophylla andhereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Fairy Love’.

The new Hydrangea cultivar is a naturally-occurring sport of ‘FairyEye’, not patented, characterized by its double-type, brightpink-colored mophead inflorescences that mature to red-purple, darkgreen-colored foliage, and moderately vigorous, compact-upright growthhabit. The new cultivar was discovered as a side shoot and selectedduring June 2013 in a controlled environment in Kiryu-shi, Japan.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by softwood cuttings since June2014 in Kiryu-shi, Japan has demonstrated that the new cultivarreproduces true to type with all of the characteristics, as hereindescribed, firmly fixed and retained through successive generations ofsuch asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following characteristics of the new cultivar have been repeatedlyobserved and can be used to distinguish ‘Fairy Love’ as a new anddistinct cultivar of Hydrangea plant:

-   -   1. Double-type, mophead inflorescences, having bright        pink-colored sterile florets that mature to deep red-purple;    -   2. Dark green-colored foliage; and    -   3. Moderately vigorous, compact-upright growth habit.

Plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of the parent ‘Fairy Eye’primarily in having a darker inflorescence color.

Of the many commercially available Hydrangea cultivars, the most similarin comparison to the new cultivar is MAGICAL Ruby Red ‘Kolmaru’, U.S.Plant Pat. No. 25,104. However, in comparison, plants of the newcultivar differ from plants of ‘Kolmaru’ in at least the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new cultivar have a sterile floret color        different from plants of ‘Kolmaru’;    -   2. Plants of the new cultivar have fewer sterile florets per        inflorescence than plants of ‘Kolmaru’; and    -   3. Plants of the new cultivar have darker green-colored foliage        than plants of ‘Kolmaru’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs show, as nearly true as it is reasonablypossible to make the same in color illustrations of this type, typicalflower and foliage characteristics of the new cultivar. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed description, which accurately describes the colors of ‘FairyLove’. The plants were approximately one-year old and were grown inone-gallon containers in a poly-covered greenhouse in Kiryu-shi, Japan.Plants were given one pinch at transplant.

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of the overall growth and flowering habitof ‘Fairy Love’.

FIG. 2 illustrates an inflorescence with fully-open florets of ‘FairyLove’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new cultivar has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotype mayvary somewhat with variations in the environment, such as temperature,light intensity, and day length, without, however, any variance ingenotype.

The chart used in the identification of colors described herein is TheR.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England,2007 edition, except where general color terms of ordinary significanceare used. The color values were determined in May 2016 under naturallight conditions in Iyo, Japan.

The following descriptions and measurements describe approximatelyone-year old plants produced from softwood cuttings from stock plantsand grown under conditions comparable to those used in commercialpractice. The plants were grown in one-gallon containers in apoly-covered greenhouse in Kiryu-shi, Japan. Plants were given one pinchat transplant. Day temperatures ranged from a high of 97° F. (36° C.) toa low of 43° F. (6° C.). Night temperatures ranged from a high of 77° F.(25° C.) to a low of 25° F. (−4° C.). Greenhouse light levels of 30,000lux to 100,000 lux were maintained during the day. No supplementallighting was provided. Measurements and numerical values representaverages of typical plants.

-   Botanical classification: Hydrangea macrophylla cultivar Fairy Love.-   Parentage:    -   -   Parent.—‘Fairy Eye’, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Softwood.        -   Time to initiate roots.—Approximately 20 to 25 days.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—Approximately 30 to 35            days.        -   Root description.—Medium thickness, fleshy, white, NN155D.        -   Rooting habit.—Moderate branching, moderately dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Commercial crop time.—Approximately 16 to 18 weeks from a            rooted cutting to finish in a 18 cm pot.        -   Growth habit and general appearance.—Deciduous shrub,            moderately vigorous, compact-upright.        -   Hardiness.—USDA Zone 5 (−20° F. to −15° F.).        -   Heat tolerance.—Regularly tolerates temperatures as high as            38° C. in the summer.        -   Size.—Height from soil level to top of plant plane:            Approximately 40.0 cm. Width: Approximately 45.0 cm.        -   Branching habit.—Freely branching. Pinching enhances            branching. Quantity of lateral branches per plant:            Approximately 6.        -   Branch.—Shape: Rounded. Strength: Strong. Length to base of            inflorescence: Approximately 20.0 cm. Diameter:            Approximately 6.0 mm. Length of central internode:            Approximately 7.7 cm. Texture of young stem: Glabrous.            Texture of mature stem: Woody. Color of young stem: 143C.            Color of mature stem: 164C.        -   Lenticels.—Quantity per internode: Approximately 75. Shape:            Round to elliptic. Size: Approximately 0.8 mm to 6.2 mm.            Color: N77A.-   Foliage description:    -   -   General description.—Quantity of leaves per lateral branch:            Approximately 8. Fragrance: Not detected. Form: Simple.            Arrangement: Opposite.        -   Leaves.—Aspect: Flat. Shape: Elliptic. Margin: Serrated.            Apex: Acuminate. Base: Rounded. Venation pattern: Pinnate.            Length of mature leaf: Approximately 9.0 cm to 12.0 cm.            Width of mature leaf: Approximately 6.0 cm to 9.0 cm.            Texture of upper and lower surfaces: Coriaceous, glabrous.            Color of upper surface of young foliage: 136B and venation            144D. Color of lower surface of young foliage: 138B and            venation 145B. Color of upper surface of mature foliage:            139A and venation 145B. Color of lower surface of mature            foliage: 138B and venation 145D.        -   Petiole.—Length: Approximately 1.7 cm. Diameter:            Approximately 3.0 mm. Texture: Glabrous. Color: 145D.-   Flowering description:    -   -   Flowering habit.—Seasonal, mid-May to June in Japan.        -   Lastingness of individual inflorescence on the            plant.—Approximately one month.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   General description.—Type: Terminal compound corymb, mophead            in form. Quantity per plant: Approximately 7. Fragrance: Not            detected. Aspect: Facing upward and outward. Height:            Approximately 8.0 cm. Width: Approximately 20.0 cm. Quantity            of fertile florets per inflorescence: 150. Quantity of            sterile florets per inflorescence: Approximately 27.        -   Peduncle.—Strength: Strong. Shape: Rounded. Length:            Approximately 5.0 cm. Diameter: Approximately 3.7 mm.            Texture: Sparsely pubescent with appressed hairs. Color:            146B.-   Floret description:    -   -   General description.—Type: Double-type, sterile and fertile            florets.        -   Sterile florets, bud just before opening.—Shape: Flattened.            Length: Approximately 4.4 mm. Diameter: Approximately            2.7 mm. Color: 4C.        -   Sterile florets.—Depth: Approximately 28.0 cm. Diameter:            Approximately 7.0 cm. Corolla: 3 vestigial structures            approximately 1.0 mm in length and 0.3 mm in diameter.            Diameter: Approximately 1.7 mm. Calyx: Approximately 10 to            15 sepals. Shape: Rotate, cruciform. Diameter: Approximately            7.0 cm.        -   Sepals, sterile florets.—Shape: Broadly ovate. Margin:            Crenate. Apex: Rounded. Base: Attenuate. Length:            Approximately 1.1 cm to 3.3 cm. Width: Approximately 1.2 cm            to 3.8 cm. Texture of upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous.            Color of upper surface when first open: 69D. Color of lower            surface when first open: 11D. Color of upper surface when            fully open: 71C. Color of lower surface when fully open:            75B.        -   Pedicel, sterile florets.—Strength: Strong. Aspect:            Approximately 30° from peduncle axis. Length: Approximately            3.8 cm. Diameter: Approximately 2.6 mm. Texture: Sparsely            pubescent with appressed hairs. Color: 64C.        -   Fertile florets, bud just before opening.—Shape: Globular.            Length: Approximately 3.7 mm. Diameter: Approximately            2.1 mm. Color: 140B.        -   Fertile florets.—Depth: Approximately 2.5 cm. Diameter:            Approximately 7.8 cm. Corolla: 4 to 7 petals. Shape: Ovate.            Diameter: Approximately 4.0 mm. Calyx: Up to 3 vestigial            sepals. Shape: Ovate. Diameter: Approximately 3.0 mm.        -   Petals, fertile florets.—Shape: Ovate. Margin: Entire. Apex:            Acute. Base: Truncate. Length: Approximately 5.6 mm. Width:            Approximately 3.0 mm. Texture of upper and lower surfaces:            Glabrous. Color of upper surface: 84B. Color of lower            surface 77D.        -   Sepals, fertile florets.—Shape: Ovate. Margin: Entire. Apex:            Acute. Base: Truncate. Length: Approximately 2.5 mm. Width:            Approximately 1.5 mm. Texture of upper surface: Glabrous.            Texture of lower surface: Sparsely pubescent. Color of upper            surface: 145D. Color of lower surface 75D.        -   Pedicel, fertile florets.—Strength: Strong. Aspect: Erect.            Length: Approximately 4.8 mm. Diameter: Approximately            0.8 mm. Texture: Sparsely pubescent with appressed hairs.            Color: N57D.        -   Reproductive organs.—Observed in fertile florets.            Androecium: Not observed. Gynoecium: Pistil quantity: 1 per            floret. Pistil length: Approximately 2.2 mm. Stigma shape:            Round, 3-lobed. Stigma color: 67C. Style length:            Approximately 0.8 mm. Style color: 67C. Ovary length:            Approximately 1.2 mm. Ovary texture: Sparsely pubescent with            appressed hairs. Ovary color: 62D.-   Seed and fruit production: Neither seed nor fruit production has    been observed.-   Disease and pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests    common to Hydrangea has not been observed.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Hydrangea plantnamed ‘Fairy Love’, substantially as herein illustrated and described.